Storehouses of Snow

Has your life ever come so close to crumbling, that you wonder what else could go wrong? You sit and watch as one thing after another falls apart, and it is like watching a predictable movie. For those who have no foundation in life, I don't know how the winds of turmoil don't knock them out completely. I view life from the perspective of Christ's love, cause that is the foundation I am on. Even standing on that foundation, I can be shaken to the core by the "rocking of the boat." For those of us who stand in Christ, a blow to our physical health can be hard, but necessarily life shattering...family crisis can bring pain...but it can be bearable. Our perspective in Christ allows us to look into this world that is falling apart and know things will happen to shake us. Sometimes though, a compilation of things, a series of events can occur that will shake even a follower of God to the core and knock them on their back.

I have been reading through the book of Job. If my life were not confirmation of everything said above, then the story of Job basically confirms it. He follows God, seeks to honor Him as best he can. He acts rightly on this earth and respects those around him. Yet at the beginning of this long book (LONG BOOK) he looses everything within a short amount of time. He stands strong and then one blow comes at him, but before he can physically and emotionally and spiritually recover and process, another ones comes, and then another.

In my head I picture a prize fighter who has an unbelievable record, and this guy is getting assaulted with combo's and punches and it is happening so quick he can't block or stop it.

Now Job, knocked down for the count, goes through what (to the reader) feels like an eternity just sitting and not knowing how to go on. Now from our perspective, especially if you have read this story before, you know that in the end God comes and brings reconciliation to the relationship and restores Job and blesses him with more than he ever had before. It is a happy ending.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of Job's story? You look around and wonder, "what else could go wrong?" Your life is shattered. Sometimes the "happy end to the story" isn't going to carry you. Most of the time, "it will be alright" is just an annoying phrase that is not helpful. I have read this story a few times, I can give you the outline, yet when I physically sit in the middle of the storm, I find it hard to care as much about the happy ending. When your physical body, your emotions, your spirit and all that is within you is shaken and battered, vision and hope seem like cruel words.

Then, somehow, like the first leaves of Spring, something changes. God delivers something of hope that is actually tangible, something your spirit can hang on to! In His own way, He reminds you of His intentionality, and love, and care for you. In God's response to Job and his friends, he goes on for chapters ranting about who He is and how He is in control. He brings a picture that captures it all:

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble..." (Job 38:22-23)

Like God cares so much about His creation, and He is so in control that he actually has storehouses of snow. Storehouses of Snow!! Do you understand what that is, do you catch what is symbolized there? In the midst of pain and angst, God makes clear, "I am still in control, I have good for you in this" and oh ya..."I have storehouses of blessings...of joy....of laughter...of peace that I can deliver whenever I want."

Oh how He loves us. He really does. In the middle of our trails and our pains, He wants us to remain confident in Him, knowing that He is at work and will turn our pain into joy. He makes all things new.

If He has a whole storehouse just for snow, can you imagine or get your mind around the good things He has waiting for you at the other end of a rough season? Do you understand He is so on top of it all that He isn't making it up as He goes. In the middle of your hard times, He isn't looking around going, "hmmm what can I do to fix this, how can I help out." He is one who has thought through the details of human life to such an extent that He saw it fit to create a storehouse just for snow! And another one for hail! (I mean I don't know why hail, but I am not God).

Who knows what else He has stored up for those who love Him.

No Sacrifice in Love

I am a child of the 80’s and 90’s. There is no separating that from me. I will always have references for movies and bands that go back to this time period. I am marked by the influx of knowledge and insight gained from wonderful pieces of art. The magic of the Jurassic Park soundtrack will resound in my heart until the day I die…I can still get lost in the wonder of E.T. As cheesy as the old Batman movies are, I grew up enthralled by them.

You know what I really love about movies, especially from that time period? I have always appreciated the love stories. There is something that so connects with me in the triumph of love over all other odds. The depiction of a man giving up things he so cherishes to win over the girl he wants to cherish even more…that makes movie magic! What person with even the smallest romantic bone in their body doesn’t long to be in that story?

It is a story whose theme was written onto our hearts before we ever had a chance to deny it.

I think about this story a lot, because I look forward to entering into the details of the story I am in. As I think about it, a simple thought:

There is no sacrifice in Love.

Do people give up things for the sake of love? Yes. Do they accept hardship for the chance at love? Yes. Are most lives only made harder by the implications of pursuing love? YES! And despite all that, I will tell you there is no sacrifice in love. The reason I say this is because the reward of “sacrifice” has no value in light of Love. To be able to claim you have sacrificed is to claim some pride of your efforts and energy to attain something. While usually noble, the act of sacrifice gains you a level of respect; that is your reward.

In Love, everything is different. For true love…love itself is the reward. Sacrifice only happens when the benefits of sacrifice are in play…and while not specifically self-serving…there is tremendous personal gain in sacrifice. While the fires of sacrifice run red-hot…the passion and zeal that come from the fire of love burns white hot…and smokes away all pride and personal gain…and leaves you with only one true treasure…Love itself.

A person can give all they have, all the wealth of the world if needed, for the sake of gaining love. In this very act, any outsider would look upon the situation and call it great sacrifice. The one who gains love, however, would look upon their situation and claim all that was “sacrificed” was done so in light of love, and nothing of any real value was lost…in light of love.

True love, the big “L” type of love, is a reward so big; it is unable to be paired with any other. No man could claim he gained love “and.” To have any other prize is to highlight an inability to appreciate the true Prize at its truest value.